Brideshead Revisited (First published 1945)

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Opening during World War II, Captain Charles Ryder's British military unit relocating in the middle of the night. Upon waking he learns that they are now stationed at Brideshead, a large family estate that has been repurposed for the war effort. What follows is Ryder's memories of Brideshead and the Flyte family who lived there and whom he came to know during the interwar years. This is a fascinating time when large estates are in dire financial situations and many can no longer be supported. Extreme social changes are also underway after the end of the first world war.



Charles meets Sebastian Flyte while at university and begins to spend more time with him and his small group of friends including Anthony Blanche, a flamboyant and open gay man who may be either Spanish or Italian, as this is not completely clear in the text. As many of the circle of friends move away, Charles and Sebastian become even more inseparable. It's clear that Charles has strong feelings for him and is honest with himself about them.



Sebastian invites Charles to spend time with him at Brideshead but seems intent on keeping his family distant, planning visits when he knows family will be away. Sebastian seems to be most himself away from his family who have opinions about what he should do and how he should live. When Charles does finally meet Sebastian's family, the magic in their relationship begins to disappear and the relationship with Sebastian becomes contentious. Sebastian's fears are realized when Charles works with Sebastian's mother to control his behavior.



Brideshead Revisited is a classic of gay literature and this is most likely tied to the character of Anthony Blanche. Evelyn Waugh attended university with Brian Howard and it is said that Anthony Blanche is largely based on him. Howard was said to be brilliant and funny but in the end didn't accomplish much in his short literary career. Like Blanche, Howard was openly gay and made no secret about his life. There is a nice write up of Brian Howard's life including his appearance as Anthony Blanche in Brideshead at The Esoteric Curiosa.



What may be overshadowed by the more obvious gayness of Blanche is the less obvious love between Charles and Sebastian. It's a quieter relationship that doesn't announce itself as much as it just exists. Later in the novel, when Charles is speaking with Julia, Sebastian's sister, he acknowledges that his first love was Sebastian and really that his subsequent marriage did not compare to that first love. Even as Charles attempts to form a relationship with Julia, one wonders if it's simply a more socially acceptable relationship that would allow him to feel closer to Sebastian in some way.



Throughout the novel there are themes of love, family, religion (Catholicism) and duty. The Flyte family is so encompassing that any individual relationship is controlled by the family itself. This is why Sebastian feared introducing Charles to the family because 'they would win him over to their side.' While some members of the Flyte family are more devout than others, in the end the Catholicism of the family wins out in nearly every decision and interaction. One can't truly escape one's family and religion. Even Charles who holds strong anti-religious feelings and often has arguments with members of the Flyte family, in the end learns something and is changed by the family's religious devotion.